Vikarabad: Union defense minister Rajnath Singh clarified that there are some people spreading false information about the Very Low-Frequency (VLF) Radar Station of the Indian Navy being set up in the Damagundam forest. He emphasized that national security should not be politicized. On Tuesday, he, along with Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy, laid the foundation stone for the VLF radar station at Damagudem forest area in the Pudur mandal of Vikarabad district.
Speaking on the occasion, he thanked the chief minister, and expressed happiness about the event which fell on the birth anniversary of former president of India and Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
He said the communication system was crucial for national security, and that India has been working to develop the communication systems for the past three decades.
“There was a time when humans used eagles and other birds for communication. But communication is now changing rapidly. Other communications are being used to strengthen the communication system,” he said, reiterating that the centre was committed to building a strong military.
He said these types of radar stations were very important for the country’s strength and security.
Cooperation of India’s friendly nations is essential in this effort, as even if one country is left out, the nation’s security will be at risk, he said.
Describing the Indian Navy as “the biggest guarantee of peace in the entire IOR, including the Bay of Bengal,” Singh stressed the need to continuously empower the defence wing in view of the ever-growing global interest in the Indian Ocean Region.
“Bharat believes in bringing all together and not breaking. That is why we are making every possible step to take the friendly neighbouring nations along,” he said.
The VLF naval station will prove to be very important for maritime forces when it becomes functional, he said.
Several ships and other platforms of the Indian Navy are spread across the entire Indo-Pacific Region and the sphere of interest extends throughout the region, from the Malacca Strait in the east to the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and the eastern coast of Africa in the west, he further said.
“In the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy has also emerged as the first responder and net security provider,” Singh said.
The upcoming VLF station would expand the military capabilities of the country, proving to be a boon to the Armed Forces, he said, asserting that the high-tech centre, once operational, would not just be a military establishment, but a strategic asset of national importance.
Allaying concerns about the impact of the project on the environment, Singh assured that all environmental conditions are being taken care of.
The upcoming station at Damagundam forest area in Vikarabad district is the Navy’s second VLF communication transmission station in the country.
INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind, a Telangana government release said.
Kishan Reddy slams BRS’ opposition to naval radar station
Earlier in the day, while addressing media persons in Hyderabad, Union minister G Kishan Reddy refuted the allegations made by BRS working president K T Rama Rao, that his party was opposing the construction of the radar station in Vikarabad district, as it would create ecological imbalance. Reddy said it was the previous K Chandrasekhar Rao-led regime which gave land and permissions to the Centre.
“In December 2017, Telangana government’s forest and environment department gave the clearance. As per the GO issued, 2,900 acres of land in the Damagundam Forest area were given for the project,” he reminded.
Reddy further said the project was conceptualised in 2010 when Manmohan Singh was the prime minister.
The union minister said that as there was a need to cut some trees to construct the radar centre, and that Rs 130 crore was deposited with the forest department by the defence ministry for compensatory afforestation.
Reddy said out of the 2,900 acres of land there will not be any construction in 1,500 acres. “Not even a single plant will be removed in 1,500 acres,” he asserted.
Accommodations for the naval staff would be constructed in some parts of the land, he said.
The union minister appealed to political parties not to create controversies out of the project.
It is the Navy’s second VLF communication transmission station in the country. INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind, a Telangana government release said.
Union minister Bandi Sanjay and other other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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